André Gustavo’s mission will be to identify new opportunities for expansion around the world
Wieden+Kennedy announced the promotion of André Gustavo, who will take on the role of global chief operating officer (COO) of the independent network, recently created with the aim of structuring the company’s expansion strategy worldwide.
In this role, the executive’s mission will be to identify new opportunities for expansion around the world, in addition to implementing improvements in processes so that teams across the network work in an increasingly integrated manner.
As part of his global transition, André Gustavo has appointed Camila Hamaoui to succeed him as president of the São Paulo office. For Latin America, André will continue to lead alongside Rodrigo Jatene, who is responsible for creative in the region.
“I am very honored. Wieden+Kennedy is a special place, truly unique. Being part of this agency has always been a dream, one that I have lived intensely for the last 14 years. Knowing that I have the trust of the W+K network to help put into practice our expansion plans for the coming years is incredible. I could not be more proud and full of energy”, highlighted the new COO.
André is the first Latin American outside the United States to join the global leadership team and will report to Neal Arthur, global CEO, and Karl Lieberman, global CCO of Wieden+Kennedy.
“W+K operates much more as a network than as individual offices. We have moved from a model of offices that operated independently to a network that works together, sharing clients and contributing to their growth, as well as building modern brands. This requires more efficient operations and someone who knows how to scale our model. André has been very successful in doing this in Latin America – and we are delighted to have him bring his unique value and perspective to W+K globally,” said Neal Arthur, Global CEO of the network.
In total, André Gustavo has spent 14 years with the network, having held several leadership positions. He was responsible for opening the W+K offices in São Paulo and Mexico City, as well as the creative hub in Buenos Aires, and also led Nike’s global team in Portland for four years.
After serving as global leader of W+K for Nike in Portland, Oregon, where he lived for four years, he returned to Brazil in 2022 to take over the São Paulo operation.
